Is Scientology all bad?

[humble soul]

don't think we have that many scientologists here, nothing like Clearwater, Florida (I've been there, but didn't realize how

Clearwater.
That is a place that gets a lot of attention from ex Scientologists on YouTube.
Clearwater and LA.

 

[humble soul]

FLDS groups and the Kingston clan. They pretty much own some of their own towns

I need to google those. Never heard of them.

 

[humble soul]

Ok fundamentalist Mormon cults...
Eek eek eek

 

[humble soul]

Reminds me of that tv series
Big Love
About the Mormon polygamists
Poor wives. But In fact I don't envy a guy having more than one wife to be honest.

 

[Lilac]

Yes..
is my first answer. Absolutely evil. A cult. Shocking. Satan's work.
My only point, the only thing I want to say is ,,,,,
Why couldn't Christianity use some of the auditing ideas? The ones which can help us overcome our personal problems. A couns llor. To self improve.
Apparently people like Jerry Seinfeld said he benefited from Scientology courses.
Is self improvement at odds with being a Christian? I don't think so.
The Bible alone cannot improve all aspects of our lives. Some of us need coaching. Counselling. Mentoring.
Some of this was available in Scientology. Too bad it was for evil purposes.

not sure about Scientology, don't know much about it.
I am compelled however, to share my part of the story anyway, as to me your post is suggesting something else.
After more than 20 years of being a Christian (or, so I thought I was) I hit rock bottom and someone 'opened' my eyes about the state I was actually in. That person put a mirror in front of my face to show me. This person was by no means a true active Christian.
In those 20 odd years, I have encountered many prayers, healing sessions, christian councelling, prayer and fasting events, festivals, and go on. Once, in the beginning of my christian journey, I visited a 'worldly' councellor, who told me about the same as did this person mentioned above. But, the pastor of the church I attended back then told me, the church would no longer be able to look after me if I'd started 'wordly' councelling. As I would describe myself vulnerable and somewhat socially dependent, I heeded this advise and sought after the pastor's solution, which entailed the 7 steps into deliverance (cannot remember the exact title of the booklet they used for this). To shorten this story. 4 years ago, after that rock bottom moment, I had to admit that something still was really not quite right with me, and my faith. Thank God, I met good people in the professional realm of Mental Health and I am now signed into a traject aiming to learn how to live and react and think and speak in a 'normal' natural human being way of proper embracing life as it should be. I cannot fathom how thankful I am for all those people in the years of praying for me, but also, I am now a whole person (which I was not, most of my life). It happened last year. I finally can say, all those years past, I was still bound in my sinful nature, unable to grasp the goodness of God for myself. I believe, God gives wisdom to doctors to heal and wisdom to councellors for us to talk to them. If this benefits and keeps one in one's faith.

 

[humble soul]

believe, God gives wisdom to doctors to heal and wisdom to councellors for us to talk to them. If this benefits and keeps one in one's faith.

Christian churches haven't quite got the credentials to help those with mental health problems.
They can help a little. But sometimes they make it worse by adding guilt. They make someone feel selfish for admitting to depression for example.
It's not selfish to seek secular psychological help. It's commonsense.

 

[humble soul]

Here's Benny Hinn giving Christianity a bad name.

 

[Lilac]

don't think it's Christianity - Jews have a different view of how the world and people 'work'. It's engrained in culture, too. Jews see things in a circle, rather than in a straight horizontal line as the Greeks (and us, thus). We in the west mostly think in a straight horizontal line, from A - Z. So if an 'R' speaks up, then the 'A' would say: Oh, the 'R' is so far away, it's not within my reach - and does not bother at all with 'R'. While in fact, 'R' is as much part of the alphabet as the 'A'. And 'A' sometimes does not even realize this in full, or is not conscious about this. (not sure if this makes sense to anyone, but to me it does, anyway). In other words, Jewish world view is holistic - everything is somewhat connected with the other, and the culture is therefore more inclined to combine things instead of seperating them. For me, I think the same counts for 'our' Christian churches. I see it like in guitar chords: The 'A', 'D' and 'E' form a pleasant tune to the ear. Now, in comes the 'B'. The 'B' does not naturally mix with the others. So the 'A' thinks, nah, not going to put effort in getting to know this 'B' cause it's out of tune (or, even worse, trying to make an 'A' from the 'B' haha). And so, 'B' gets expelled from that particular church life. While, in fact, 'B' is just another note, and can form a chord tune with 'C' and 'F'. But if one does not see this, or not bother to find a together instead of the seperation (cause 'B' is a person with some mental health condition, has their own quality but takes some effort to get to know, and to find a place for them). And in Heaven, maybe we play in turns then.

 

[stovebolts]

Hubbard hated Christianity. But he ironically hated psychiatry too.
To be honest most pastors don't have good counselling skills. They are too quick to recommend the Bible as a cure all.

I think that depends on how one defines hated.

I am an ex Scientologist. I spent 3 months helping to build ASHO in Hollywood Ca. I worked side by side Sea Org members.

I also spent an additional 3 months studying at ASHO. I’ve got many of the fundamental courses under me.

LRH pulls the best from each religion and the sales pitch to any religion is this. Scientology will enhance ones religion.

During my interview to enter Scientology, they asked if I were a Christian. I said yes and asked if there were any issues with that. I was told no.

 

[stovebolts]

I see it like in guitar chords: The 'A', 'D' and 'E' form a pleasant tune to the ear. Now, in comes the 'B'. The 'B' does not naturally mix with the others.

Lol! Can’t you just use a capo lol!

mall kidding aside, good analogy.

 

[Christ_empowered]

the church of scientology is yet another profit driven fake religion. however, they fund the citizen's commission on human rights. 'politics makes for strange bed-fellows...,' etc.

 

[stovebolts]

the church of scientology is yet another profit driven fake religion. however, they fund the citizen's commission on human rights. 'politics makes for strange bed-fellows...,' etc.

Yup, and they make millions. That’s why they are dubbed $cientology.

I think of them as an example of Satan masquerading as the light. Truth mixed with a lie is palatable for many. I was told during my interview that $cientology and Christianity are very much compatible. This is not true. They oppose each other in many different ways and I’m well aware of many of them.

 

[humble soul]

I think that depends on how one defines hated.

I am an ex Scientologist. I spent 3 months helping to build ASHO in Hollywood Ca. I worked side by side Sea Org members.

I also spent an additional 3 months studying at ASHO. I’ve got many of the fundamental courses under me.

LRH pulls the best from each religion and the sales pitch to any religion is this. Scientology will enhance ones religion.

During my interview to enter Scientology, they asked if I were a Christian. I said yes and asked if there were any issues with that. I was told no.

Thanks for the correction.
He didn't hate Christianity. In uses a cross as a symbol.

From wiki

belief system is different from Christianity because it is based “solely on reason” and that its members “possess a practical system of ethics and justice.” The church likewise claims that “anything religious teachers said or Buddha promised, even the visions of Christianity, are attained in Scientology as a result.” Muck, Netland and McDermott emphasize that this clearly shows that Scientology is incompatible with Christianity.[31]

 

[humble soul]

I am an ex Scientologist. I spent 3 months helping to build ASHO in Hollywood Ca. I worked side by side Sea Org members

So you almost got to sign a billion year contract?

 

[Luminous_Rose]

Clearwater.
That is a place that gets a lot of attention from ex Scientologists on YouTube.
Clearwater and LA.

I didn't realize how big Clearwater was to the Scientology group at first, but it made sense why we were seeing these big campuses - I thought, "Is this like a college town or something?" and he was like, "Nope, Scientology." >_<

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Hubbard hated Christianity. But he ironically hated psychiatry too.
To be honest most pastors don't have good counselling skills. They are too quick to recommend the Bible as a cure all.

Hubbard was a science fiction writer.
His greatest piece of science fiction was dianetics.

 

[danryanpi]

Anyway ive recently been intrigued by scientology. Having watched an excellent doco.
Hubbard. What a weirdo. But there must have been some evil genius in there. Just like we hate Hitler, Mao or Stalin. You gotta respect their evil genius.
A big part is taking advantage of wannabe actors in LA. Their desperation for fame.

Of the three, all I can think of that is positive is that Hitler liked his dog. I can't think of anything else to respect about any of them. These were godless men, through and through.

 

[stovebolts]

So you almost got to sign a billion year contract?

That’s for Sea Org members only. I worked almost exclusively with Sea Org personnel and all on my training was done by some of the best Sea Org teachers in America. Clearwater would have been my next destination had I stayed.

 

[stovebolts]

Hubbard was a science fiction writer.
His greatest piece of science fiction was dianetics.

Diabetics was foundational to his cult. I’ve got thousands of hours listening (while reading) LRH’s lectures.

LRH is a master of the English language and as a student one spends many hours in the dictionary. The key to happiness course is centered around etymology. Actually, if I can say one good thing about LRH is his study tech. It’s good stuff.

That being said, I came to a crossroad where LRH would construct sentences with dual meaning void of context. And he gave hints along the way like breadcrumbs. As a science fiction writer he says that they love to make things up, and they just keep writing and writing and writing. I took that as his confession.
So when I asked the meaning of a sentence with dual meaning, the reply was, “”.

That was the beginning of my departure.

The ground level courses are good. They take the best of all religions and present it in a nice package. However, the higher you go, the stranger it gets...

 

[Hopeful]

Diabetics was foundational to his cult. I’ve got thousands of hours listening (while reading) LRH’s lectures.

LRH is a master of the English language and as a student one spends many hours in the dictionary. The key to happiness course is centered around etymology. Actually, if I can say one good thing about LRH is his study tech. It’s good stuff.

That being said, I came to a crossroad where LRH would construct sentences with dual meaning void of context. And he gave hints along the way like breadcrumbs. As a science fiction writer he says that they love to make things up, and they just keep writing and writing and writing. I took that as his confession.
So when I asked the meaning of a sentence with dual meaning, the reply was, “”.

That was the beginning of my departure.

The ground level courses are good. They take the best of all religions and present it in a nice package. However, the higher you go, the stranger it gets...

"Diabetics"? Or "diatetics"?